Searchers are hopeful that newly obtained information will help pinpoint the location of an Ohio man who went hiking on the Blue Lake Trail near Mount St. Helens on Thursday and went missing.
According to the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, Matthew B. Matheny, 40, of Warrenton, Ohio, was last seen around 7 a.m. Thursday. He was driving a friend’s gray Subaru Outback to go to Mount St. Helens. His friends reported him missing when he failed to return.
On Saturday, a deputy found the unoccupied Subaru at the Blue Lake Trailhead in Cowlitz County. The trail is off National Forest Road 81.
The sheriff’s office said the area was thoroughly searched over the weekend, but unfortunately, no signs of Matheny have been found.
On Tuesday, the sheriff’s office reported that search coordinators have cellphone records that Matheny, or at least his phone, was in the general area of Blue Lake Trail — several miles up toward Mount St. Helens.
“(Searchers) also were contacted by some people who drove up to the base camp from Vancouver yesterday” and reported seeing a man wearing grey-colored clothing in the area that is consistent with the cell phone data, according to the sheriff’s office.
Dogs, drones and volunteers have been used in the search in the days following Matheny’s disappearance. The sheriff’s office said another tool currently being used is a software program that identifies areas worth searching.
A Cowlitz County detective has been assigned to investigate the missing person case, and they’ve interviewed numerous people.
The sheriff’s office previously emphasized that no information suggests the disappearance involves foul play.
Detectives want to speak with anyone else who was near or on the trail Thursday and Friday, even if they did not see Matheny or the Subaru he was driving. Tipsters can call the sheriff’s office at 360-577-3092.
“It is critically important people continue to call us if they saw someone that might be Mr. Matheny even if it is different than other reports. We always keep an open mind about all tips,” the sheriff’s office said.
Matheny is white, 6 feet 4 inches tall, 230 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes. He may be wearing a Cleveland Browns sweatshirt, shorts and sandals, according to the sheriff’s office.
